Appeals

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what legislative vehicles the Government plans to use to implement the proposals to streamline regulatory and competition appeals.

Jennifer Willott: Ministers are considering officials’ advice before deciding on the scope and extent of the proposals to be implemented. Any legislative changes we decide to make will be taken forward when parliamentary time permits.

Business: Females

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage more women to franchise their businesses.

Matthew Hancock: The Government offers a wide range of support to all types of businesses to start up and grow, including franchises, for example through the Growth Accelerator, the New Enterprise Allowance, mentoring and the Start Up Loan scheme.
	Women-led small and medium-sized businesses contribute around £82 billion to the economy. 42% of the 15,000 mentors trained through the Get Mentoring initiative are women and have contributed to the 27,000 strong mentoring network at:
	www.mentorsme.co.uk
	The latest figures show that over 37% of Start Up Loans have gone to female entrepreneurs.
	We will continue to work closely with the Women’s Business Council and others to help ensure that more women see starting and growing their own business as a real option.

Baha Mousa and Al-Sweady Inquiries

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the costs of the (a) Baha Moussa inquiry and (b) Al-Sweady inquiry are classified by his Department as being operational and reclaimable from the Treasury Special Reserve.

Mark Francois: The costs of the Baha Mousa and Al-Sweady inquiries were not deemed by the Department to be true net additional costs associated with activity to support specifically authorised operations and were not reclaimed from the Treasury Special Reserve.

Marines

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many berths are assigned to Royal Marines on board the (a) Queen Elizabeth Carriers, (b) Type 45 and (c) Type 26.

Philip Dunne: Berths on the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers (QEC), Type 45 Destroyers (T45) and the planned Type 26 Global Combat Ship (T26 GCS) are not assigned for the exclusive use of Royal Marines personnel. However, each of them provides, or will provide additional flexible accommodation, depending on the type of operation on which it is deployed.
	QEC will provide accommodation for nearly 1,000 personnel above that for the ship’s crew. Space available for an embarked military force (EMF) will depend on the size of the air group carried and the scale and type of operation being undertaken. The T45 is capable of accommodating an EMF of up to 60 personnel.
	The T26 GCS programme remains in its Assessment Phase and the design will not be finalised until the main investment decision has been taken, however every effort is being made to maximise the platform's ability to embark an EMF, particularly with its Flexible Mission Bay capable of housing a variety of EMF boats and vehicles.

Children: Databases

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons the Contact Point database was discontinued.

Edward Timpson: ContactPoint was discontinued because it was disproportionate.
	The Government believes it is unjustifiable to hold information on every child in England and to make it accessible to hundreds of thousands of people.

Children: Day Care

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many childcare places for disadvantaged two year olds have been created since September 2013.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education does not hold information on how many child care places for disadvantaged two-year-olds have been created since September 2013. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that every eligible child, whose parents want a child care place, is able to take one. We are reforming the early education market so that places are both more affordable and accessible. We are encouraging more schools to provide places for two-year-olds, including as part of an offer of provision between 8 am and 6 pm. The introduction of childminder agencies will also provide a new way for parents to find places that are suited to their needs.

History: Education

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of history lessons were taught by non-subject specialists in each of the last five years.

David Laws: Information on the percentage of history lessons taught to pupils in years seven to 13 by non-subject specialists is publicly-available online, and published in the main tables at the following links:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2010-provisional (Table 14)
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2011 (Table 14)
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2012 (Table 14)
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2013 (Table 13)
	Data for 2009 is not available.

Reading

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to implement the recommendations on support for the reading skills of oral deaf children in the Reading, Dyslexia and Oral Deaf Children report published by City University and the Nuffield Foundation.

Edward Timpson: The report by City University and Nuffield Foundation1 considers ways and strategies to help teachers identify reading problems and dyslexia for deaf children. There are no specific recommendations for Government in the report, it is for schools and professionals working with deaf children to consider the significance of the findings and how it informs their practice in identifying and supporting children with hearing loss.
	Through the Children and Families Act 2014, the Government aims to improve support for children with special educational needs and disability (SEND) including deaf children. It also includes support for teachers and other school staff to gain the knowledge and skills to support pupils with SEN and disabilities.
	The new SEND Code of Practice due to come into force in September, will set out clear guidance for schools on the process for appropriate identification, assessment, monitoring and securing further support for all children and young people with SEN and disabilities including those with sensory impairments.
	In addition, the Department for Education is funding the National Deaf Children's Society to provide information, curriculum support and impartial advice to enable deaf children and young people to achieve expected levels of achievement in learning at all key stages.
	1 http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/reading-and-dyslexia-deaf-children

Special Educational Needs

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in education funding for 18 year olds on students with severe or complex disabilities and who attend specialist schools.

Matthew Hancock: The reductions in education funding for 18-year-old students do not apply to those with severe and complex disabilities who attend special schools. From August 2014 special schools will receive a flat rate £10,000 for all their 16- to 18-year-old student places, together with top-up funding from local authorities for individual students.

Employment Schemes: Learning Disability

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will take steps to ensure the negotiations between her Department and Praxis result in the continuation of the Secret Garden Service provided by that organisation.

Theresa Villiers: The decision to invite Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) to take over management of Hillsborough Castle will provide a secure future for the castle and bring considerable economic benefits to the surrounding area.
	To deliver those benefits, HRP need control of the site currently used by Praxis in order to construct the infrastructure necessary to enable substantial visitor numbers to be welcomed to Hillsborough.
	The terms of Praxis' use of the Walled Garden site were always clear that they would need to leave if given one month's notice. Praxis confirmed over a year ago that they would leave if given one month's notice.

Income Tax

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress the Government has made on implementation of the Scottish rate of income tax; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Carmichael: The UK and Scottish Governments continue to work closely together on the implementation of the Scotland Act 2012 which significantly increases the Scottish Parliament’s financial powers.
	The Government’s second annual report on the Act was laid in Parliament yesterday and provides a full update on implementation of the fiscal powers.

Highlands and Islands: Economic Potential

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of the economic potential of the Scottish Highlands and Islands; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Carmichael: The Scottish Highlands and Islands play an important role in the Scottish economy.
	The UK Government recognises this and has demonstrated strong support for rural areas through measures such as the fuel duty rebate scheme, the abolition of the fuel duty escalator, and in the Budget 2014 supporting Scotch whisky by freezing duty on spirits.

Fire Services: Pensions

Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether he has (a) discussed with and (b) received any representations from the Fire Brigades Union regarding the adoption of a firefighters' pension scheme which would allow members to retire on the basis of length of service rather than age;
	(2)  if he will make an assessment of the (a) fairness and (b) viability of reforming the firefighters' pension scheme allow members to retire on the basis of length of service rather than age.

Brandon Lewis: The Government is reforming all public service pension schemes to ensure that they remain fair to workers and sustainable for taxpayers. The transitional protection arrangements for the firefighters’ pension schemes are set out in the Proposed Final Agreement which was published in May 2012. The transitional protections use age to calculate a member’s entitlement to protection. More firefighters are protected from changes than any other large public service workforce.
	There has been recent correspondence with the Fire Brigades Union on the scope and timing of discussions on this issue. Copies of this correspondence can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firefighters-pension-scheme-reforms

Housing: Complaints

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints have been received by the Housing Ombudsman service in the latest year for which figures are available.

Kris Hopkins: In 2012-13, the Independent Housing Ombudsman received 3,657 inquiries and 6,391 formal complaints. In that year, 543 complaints resulted in a determination decision following a formal intervention.
	I would note that, as of March 2013, the Ombudsman's remit covered 2,123 landlords, representing 2.9 millions housing units.
	Source:
	Independent Housing Ombudsman Ltd Annual report and Financial Statements 2012-13

Private Rented Housing

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households are housed by local authorities in the private rented sector on (a) two year long contracts, (b) three year long contracts and (c) contracts longer than three years.

Kris Hopkins: This information is not held centrally.

Electricity: Investment

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to his oral contribution of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 908, on energy price freeze, what the evidential basis is for the statement that investment in the electricity sector has been, on average, £8 billion a year in the present Parliament.

Michael Fallon: The data is taken from ONS data on historic investment in the electricity sector, based on their Annual Business Survey, which covers data between 2004 and 2012:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/abs/annual-business-survey/2012-provisional-results/stb-abs-2012.html
	According to the latest data (provisional for 2012 in November 2013) total net capital expenditure in the electricity sector for the years 2010 to 2012 (inclusive) is estimated at £23.1 billion-ie an average of £7.7 billion per year, which can be rounded up to £8 billion per year.

Electricity: Investment

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to his oral contribution of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 908, on energy price freeze, how much investment there was in the electricity sector in each year between 1997 and 2013.

Michael Fallon: We are not aware of a single data series covering investment in the electricity sector from 1997 to 2013.
	There is data available from ONS for investment in the electricity sector based on their quarterly business investment estimates, from 1995 up to 2010. This information was included in the latest edition of DECC’s UK Energy In Brief:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-energy-in-brief.
	However, ONS are now revising their methodology for this data series, which they are in the process of finalising.
	A more up-to-date source of ONS data on historic investment in the electricity sector is the Annual Business Survey data
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/abs/annual-business-survey/2012-provisional-results/stb-abs-2012.html
	which covers data between 2004 and 2012.
	As part of the analysis to support the DECC Investment Report, we have also made estimates of investment in the electricity sector since 2010.
	The annual data from these three sources are set out in the table:
	
		
			  Investment (£ billion, 2012 prices) 
			  ONS (1995-2010)1 ONS (2004-12)1 DECC (2010-13) 
			 1995 3.0 n/a n/a 
			 1996 2.3 n/a n/a 
			 1997 2.8 n/a n/a 
			 1998 3.0 n/a n/a 
			 1999 3.7 n/a n/a 
			 2000 3.6 n/a n/a 
			 2001 3.5 n/a n/a 
			 2002 2.8 n/a n/a 
			 2003 2.9 n/a n/a 
			 2004 0.8 3.0 n/a 
			 2005 1.5 4.0 n/a 
			 2006 1.8 4.5 n/a 
			 2007 3.5 5.9 n/a 
			 2008 4.6 5.7 n/a 
			 2009 5.5 6.8 n/a 
			 2010 5.7 5.9 8.8 
			 2011 n/a 7.3 11.3 
			 2012 n/a 10.2 13.9 
			 2013 n/a n/a 14.4 
			 1 Deflated to 2012 using GDP deflator https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gdp-deflators-at-market-prices-and-money-gdp-march-2013

Energy Companies Obligation

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the oral answer of 3 April 2014, Official Report, column 990, on energy bills, how many households are forecast to receive assistance under the energy company obligation (a) in each year between 2013 and 2017 and (b) in total.

Gregory Barker: Our analysis published in the Assessment of Impacts document accompanying the ECO consultation suggested that 8900,000 households would be supported to the end of March 1015 and an additional 930,000 households would be supported to the end of March 2017. This leads to a total number of households supported of 1,820,000
	We will be publishing our projections of the number of households supported under ECO in the forthcoming impact assessment alongside the Government response to ECO.

Solar Power

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of levels of public support for solar photovoltaic; and if he will make it his policy that there will be no changes to the level of support available for large-scale solar under the Renewable Obligation scheme until at least April 2015. [R]

Gregory Barker: The latest results from the DECC Public Attitudes Tracking survey, published on 29 April 2014, show strong levels of public support for solar photovoltaic, with current support levels at 85%. In previous surveys solar PV has consistently scored 81% or above. However, these figures relate to support for solar PV in general, rather than any specific form of solar energy generation. In addition, the survey does not include any reference to large-scale or ground-based solar.
	The Government said in the UK Solar PV Strategy Part 2, published on 4 April 2014, that we are considering the implications of current trends of deployment in solar PV on the financial incentives available in Great Britain under the Renewables Obligation and small-scale Feed-in-Tariff. We will issue a public consultation shortly proposing changes to financial support for solar PV. The proposals on which we will be consulting are intended to take effect from the 2015-16 financial year.

Solar Power: Wales

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total value is of renewable obligation certificates issued to generators for (a) roof- and (b) ground-mounted solar schemes that have been redeemed in (a) Llanelli constituency and (ii) each constituency in Wales.

Gregory Barker: The following table gives the total number, and notional value, of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) issued to the two RO-accredited stations in Wales between April and December 2013. The number and cost of ROCs issued to ground-mounted stations is a sub-set of the number of ROCs issued; there are currently no building-mounted stations in Wales accredited under the RO.
	
		
			     Value (£ million—rounded to the nearest £100,000) 
			  All Solar PV Ground-mounted1 Building-mounted1 All Solar PV Ground-mounted Building-mounted 
			 ROCs issued2 14,560 6,263 — 0.7 0.3 — 
			 1 Stations accredited from 1 April 2013. 2 Between April and December 2013. 
		
	
	Information is not available below country level. No ROCs were redeemed by accredited solar PV stations in Wales prior to the 2013-14 financial year.
	The value of a ROC is estimated as the buy-out price (£42.02) +10%. The total number of ROCs redeemed in 2013-14, and the final value of a ROC for that obligation period, will not be confirmed until October 2014. ROCs issued for the UK as a whole can be found in table ET 6.3, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-trends-section-6-renewables

Colombia

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the oral answer of 6 February 2014, Official Report, column 348W, on Colombia, 
	(1)  what discussions he held with (a) business, (b) government and (c) civil society representatives regarding the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Action Plan on Business and Human Rights during his visit to Colombia in February 2014;
	(2)  which representatives of Colombian trades unions he met during his visit to Colombia in February 2014.

Nicholas Clegg: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 February 2014, Official Report, column 691. In addition to this, all members of the business delegation who accompanied me were briefed on Human Rights issues before the visit.

Sovereignty: Scotland

John Redwood: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who would lead on negotiations with the Scottish Government in the event of a Yes vote in the Scottish referendum.

Alistair Carmichael: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf the Scotland Office.
	Both the UK Government and the Scottish Government have said that there can be no ‘pre-negotiations’ or contingency planning on what the terms of independence might be before the referendum takes place.
	The UK Government believes that Scotland is better off as part of the UK and the UK is better off with Scotland in it. We are confident that people in Scotland will vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in the forthcoming referendum.

Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government plans to increase the 15 year out-of-country voting limit for British expatriates.

Greg Clark: The Government will keep the 15 year time limit under consideration, but is not minded to change the law at the present time.

Egypt

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Egyptian counterpart about the mass trial of and death sentences on members of the Muslim brotherhood.

Hugh Robertson: In a meeting with the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 2 April, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised his concern over the death sentences imposed on 529 people. He asked the Egyptian Government to review these issues as a matter of urgency and to ensure that individuals' human and legal rights were properly upheld.
	The Foreign Secretary also made a statement on 28 April expressing deep concerns that a further 683 people had been sentenced to death by the same court and that 37 of the original death sentences handed down on 24 March had been upheld. He expressed concern at the potential negative impact of such sentences on the Egyptian Government's ability to take forward an inclusive political process, and urged that the sentences be reviewed. We will continue to raise this issue in our conversations with the Egyptian Government.

Falkland Islands

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2014, Official Report, column 413W, on Falkland Islands, if he will discuss the correct use of the name Falkland Islands with the Secretary of State for the Home Office; and given the misuse of the name by his Department in its internal guidance if he will now issue cross-Department guidance.

Hugo Swire: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials have been in contact with the Home Office to remind them of the appropriate terminology for the Falkland Islands. All Government departments and agencies should refer to ‘the Falkland Islands’ in all instances. There is no evidence that incorrect terminology has been used other than in the isolated cases which the hon. Member highlights. Therefore no cross-departmental guidance has been issued.

Nigeria

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Nigerian counterpart on the recent kidnapping of schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria.

Mark Simmonds: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to the Nigerian Foreign Minister on 18 April when he condemned the abductions and offered UK assistance in securing the release of the schoolgirls.

Nigeria

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests for assistance the Government has received in connection with the recent kidnappings from Chibok, Nigeria.

Mark Simmonds: Since the abduction of the Nigerian school girls on 14 April, our high commission in Abuja has remained in close contact with the Nigerian authorities. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), offered our assistance when he spoke to the Nigerian Foreign Minister on 18 April. So far we have not received a formal request for assistance from the Nigerian Government.

Nigeria

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to (a) the UN and (b) any UN agency on the abduction of schoolgirls from Chibok in north-eastern Nigeria on 14 April 2014.

Mark Simmonds: Since the abduction of the Nigerian school girls on 14 April, we have focused our efforts on working with the Nigerian Government to locate and secure the release of the girls. We have discussed the issue with officials from counterpart members of the UN Security Council in New York. On 7 May, I spoke with UN Special Representatives (SR), Zainab Bangura (UN SR for Sexual Violence) and Leila Zeroughi (UN SR for Children and Armed Conflict), to discuss what more the UN can do to help.

Nigeria

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with UN Women about the abduction of schoolgirls from Chibok in north-eastern Nigeria on 14 April 2014; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Simmonds: Since the abduction of the Nigerian school girls on 14 April, we have focused our efforts on working with the Nigerian Government to locate and secure the release of the girls. We have made no representations to UN Women about the case. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made a statement condemning the schoolgirls abduction on 16 April.

Sri Lanka

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights about the implementation of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka of 27 March 2014; what technical advice and assistance his Department will provide to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for the investigation into alleged war crimes and human rights violations in Sri Lanka; and what representations he has made to the government of Sri Lanka about the UN Human Rights Council resolution.

Hugo Swire: Our officials in Geneva continue to discuss the March 2014 UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) resolution with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). We will continue to fully support and work with the UN HRC and international partners to ensure proper implementation of this resolution. The OHCHR will lead an independent investigation into alleged violations. We continue to urge the Sri Lankan Government to co-operate with the UN resolution.

Venezuela

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on anti-democratic violence in Venezuela.

Hugo Swire: I am deeply concerned about the reports of violence associated with protests in various cities in Venezuela since early February and call on all sides to refrain from violence. I receive regular reports on the situation from our embassy in Caracas.
	The majority of the demonstrations, including large-scale gatherings organised by the Government or by the opposition, have been peaceful, but some disturbances have been marred by violence. The number and frequency of the incidents have decreased over the last few weeks, but there are still violent incidents. To date, at least 41 people have died and more than 650 have been injured since the start of protests. About half the victims are anti-government protestors and the rest pro-government supporters, security forces or bystanders. Around 2,500 people have been detained and around 200 people remain in custody, including police officers and students. The authorities are investigating around 100 cases of reported human rights abuses.
	It is important that the Venezuelan Government respects the right to protest peacefully, ensures public security and due process is afforded in investigations. I welcome the meetings held between the Government and opposition which are an important step towards genuine dialogue. We continue to monitor the situation closely and keep travel advice for British nationals under constant review.

Pay

David Ward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of (a) permanent, (b) temporary and (c) contract staff in his Department as paid the living wage or above.

Andrea Leadsom: 100% of permanent and temporary staff at HM Treasury are paid the Living Wage or above.
	HM Treasury fully complies with EU procurement directives and awards contracts on the basis of the best value for money for the taxpayer. Nevertheless, we have encouraged contractors to commit to paying a living wage and expect all employers to pay at least the national minimum wage.
	The Government supports businesses that choose to pay the Living Wage however the Government’s main policy on wages is the National Minimum Wage, which has continued to protect the relative wages of the low paid. This is independently set by the Low Pay Commission at a level that maximises their wages without reducing employment prospect. It is for workers and employers to decide the level of wages above the minimum wage based on current circumstances. This includes the Government as a procurer and an employer. Over 95%, around 20 million employees earn above the minimum wage and the majority of public sector workers currently earn above the Living Wage.

VAT

Hilary Benn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2014, Official Report, column 677W, on VAT, 
	(1)  how many VAT431C claims have been submitted in each of the (a) last eight years and (b) smallest time periods by which data is kept over the last eight years;
	(2)  how many VAT431NB claims have been submitted in each of the (a) last eight years and (b) smallest time periods by which data is kept over the last eight years.

David Gauke: VAT 431NB New House Build Claims and VAT431C Conversion claims forms have only been in use in their current form since September 2009.
	Data on these forms is kept on an annual calendar year basis.
	
		
			 Type of claim 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 New Build/from 2009 VAT431NB 6,818 6,441 6,183 5,303 
			 Conversion/from 2009 VAT431C 1,155 1,107 1,251 999

Convictions

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 in each of the last four years.

Damian Green: Section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 was enacted to deal with the situation where it was clear that one of a number of members of a household was responsible for the death of a child or vulnerable adult in that household but it could not be proved which one.
	This Government is committed to protecting the rights of children and vulnerable adults. Since 2010 those who commit a serious offence are more likely to go to prison and go for longer. The average custodial sentence length for indictable offences is now the highest in more than a decade.
	The number of offenders found guilty at all courts for offences under section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 as it applies to causing or allowing death, in England and Wales, from 2009 to 2012 (latest data available) can be viewed in the table.
	The number of people convicted in a year, does not reflect the number of cases going through the system, as this could be carried on from previous years.
	The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims (Amendment) Act 2012 amended section 5 of the 2004 Act to extend it to causing or allowing serious physical harm to a child or vulnerable adult.
	Court proceedings data for 2013 are planned for publication in May 2014.
	
		
			 Offenders found guilty at all courts for offences under section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, England and Wales, 2009-121,2 
			 Statute Offence 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, s.5 Causing or allowing death of child or vulnerable person 13 4 2 3 
			 1 The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Convictions

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to sections 1, 2 and 6 of the Child Abduction Act 1984 in each of the last four years.

Damian Green: The number of offenders found guilty at all courts for offences under the Child Abduction Act 1984 in England and Wales from 2009 to 2012 (latest data available) can be viewed in the table.
	The Ministry of Justice collects information for criminal courts in England and Wales only. Information under section 6 of the act is the responsibility of the Scottish government.
	Court proceedings data for 2013 are planned for publication in May 2014.
	
		
			 Offenders found guilty at all courts for offences under the Child Abduction Act 1984, England and Wales, 2009-121, 2 
			 Statute Offence 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Child Abduction Act 1984, s.1 Abduction of a child by parent3 5 9 11 7 
		
	
	
		
			 Child Abduction Act 1984, s.2 Abduction of a child by other persons4 50 72 76 86 
			 1 The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 S.1 also includes the following: Take a child out of the UK without appropriate consent Send a child out of the UK without appropriate consent 4 S.2 also includes the following: Take a child without lawful authority so as to remove him/her from lawful control Attempt to take a child without lawful authority so as to remove him/her from lawful control Detain a child without lawful authority so as to remove him/her from lawful control Take a child without lawful authority so as to keep him/her from lawful control Detain a child without lawful authority so as to keep him/her from lawful control Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Convictions

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people have been convicted of an offence of murder, kidnapping or infanticide contrary to the common law of England and Wales in each of the last four years;
	(2)  how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to Section 1 of the Infanticide Act 1938 in each of the last four years.

Damian Green: Murder, infanticide and kidnapping are all indictable only offences. A life sentence is mandatory for murder and the maximum penalty for infanticide and kidnapping.
	The number of offenders found guilty at all courts of 'murder', 'infanticide' and 'kidnapping' in England and Wales from 2009 to 2012 (latest data available) can be viewed in the table.
	Court proceedings data for 2013 is planned for publication in May 2014.
	
		
			 Offenders found guilty at all courts for 'murder', 'infanticide' and 'kidnapping', England and Wales, 2009-121,2 
			 Offence 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Murder3 376 346 343 356 
			 Infanticide4 1 2 0 1 
			 Kidnapping5 194 151 132 126 
			 1 The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 Includes all murder offences under Common Law and including by virtue of ss9/10 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. 4 Includes offences under the Infanticide Act 1938. 5 Includes offence of kidnapping under Common Law. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Police: Dogs

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if she will introduce legislative proposals to protect police dogs by recognising them as an extension of their handler as a police officer.

Simon Hughes: The Government agrees that attacks of any sort on police dogs, horses or any other police animal should be dealt with severely under the criminal law. However, it is not necessary to create a new offence in order to do this.
	An attack on a police dog can be treated as animal cruelty under s4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The maximum penalty is six months imprisonment, or a fine of up to £20,000, or both.

Prisoners: Pay

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average (a) net and (b) gross earnings were of each prisoner in each month in each of the last four years;
	(2)  what the highest amount earned by any prisoner in jail was in 2013.

Jeremy Wright: This information is not held centrally. To obtain this information would require an examination by each prison establishment of payment transactions made on the central prisoner monies recording system for each of the relevant periods. This would be a significant exercise and could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Developing Countries: Older People

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to ensure that her Department gives full consideration to the increasing impact and challenges that ageing populations will place on national governments, civil society and relevant stakeholders (a) between 2015 and 2030 and (b) after 2030.

Justine Greening: The UK Government welcomes the fact that life expectancy is increasing in developing countries and wants to see this positive trend continue. However, DFID also recognises that this brings new challenges, which the post-2015 framework should address. The High Level Panel, co-chaired by the Prime Minister, acknowledged this in its report to the UN Secretary General through its call to ‘leave no one behind.’

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress the Global Fund has made in reducing instances of AIDS, malaria and TB in the last two years.

Lynne Featherstone: The Global Fund to fights AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria (GFATM) is critical to the delivery of DFID’s ambition on HIV, TB and Malaria and is a very significant channel for our funding. Results from GFATM supported programmes have increased significantly:
	(1) 6.1 million people are currently receiving antiretroviral (ARV) therapy to treat HIV, an increase from two million five years ago (2008); an additional 900,000 people received ARV therapy in 2012 and 1.9 million people in 2013;
	(2) 11 million new TB cases have been detected and treated, an increase from 4.1 million five years ago (2008) ; about 1.1 million TB cases were detected and treated in 2012 and 1.5 million cases in 2013;
	(3) 360 million insecticide treated nets have been distributed to protect families from malaria, an increase from 70 million five years ago (2008); 80 million insecticide treated nets were distributed in 2012; an additional 50 million in 2013.
	Since 2002 the Fund has supported over 1,000 programmes in 151 countries, and approved grants totalling $12.4 billion for HIV, $3.6 billion for TB, and $6.5 billion for Malaria. It accounts for 21% of all international funding for HIV/AIDS, 82% of international TB funding, and 50% of global malaria spend.

International Assistance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to ensure that there is a renewed focus on the millennium development goals which have not yet been attained.

Justine Greening: Despite remarkable progress, some countries are off-track to meet MDG targets. In response, the Government has increased development assistance to fragile states, driven forward work to help unlock the potential of girls and women and focused more resources on creating the jobs, investment and growth that emerging and frontier markets need to escape poverty.

International Assistance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to ensure that the millennium development goals and sustainable development goals are coherent with and integrated into the development agendas of all government departments.

Justine Greening: Ensuring that the millennium development goals and sustainable development goals are coherent with and are integrated into the development agendas of all UK Government Departments is a priority for this Government. DFID Ministers and officials work closely with other Government Departments and through the National Security Council, Cabinet and Cabinet sub-Committees to ensure development coherence across HMG.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements he plans to put in place to ensure that monitoring data collected on the second year of the pilot badger culls in Gloucestershire and Somerset is made available for independent scientific evaluation and analysis; and if he will make it his policy to receive and consider the conclusions of that analysis prior to deciding whether the culls should be extended to other areas subsequently.

George Eustice: The outcome of the monitoring of the second year of culling will be made publically available when the culls have concluded and the analyses completed. This information will be taken into account in making decisions on rolling out culling in further areas.

Dangerous Dogs

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will review the effectiveness of current legislation on banned breeds of dog.

George Eustice: The Government has introduced new legislation to tackle irresponsible dog ownership, including extending the criminal offence of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control to all places, increasing the maximum penalties for allowing a dog to become dangerously out of control and ensuring that the new measures to deal with antisocial behaviour will include such instances when they involve a dog. As announced on 6 February 2013, DEFRA is looking at making changes to the arrangements for seizure and kennelling of suspected dangerous dogs but there are no plans to review the effectiveness of the restrictions on keeping certain types of dog which are specifically bred for fighting.

Floods

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the government departments and public authorities to which borough councils for areas where there is no unitary authority can apply for funding towards (a) their own costs in dealing with flooding and (b) the cost of flood protection schemes in their area, stating in each case the name of the funding scheme and the government department or public authority to which the application should be made.

Dan Rogerson: The information is as follows:
	(a) There are a number of schemes where borough councils can apply for funding towards their own costs in dealing with flooding and these are listed as follows:
	The Bellwin scheme of emergency financial assistance (funding to help local authorities in the emergency phase of the flooding to protect lives or property)—through the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	Funding for repair of damages to roads (hit by weather damage)—through the Department for Transport
	The business support scheme (hardship funding for SME businesses in areas affected by the floods)—through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	(b) Borough councils can also apply for funding towards the cost of flood protection schemes from Flood Defence Grant in Aid through the Environment Agency. Second tier local authorities including borough councils can apply for capital grants towards flood and coastal erosion risk management projects. Where there are two tiers of local government, local authorities should work together to decide which authority is best placed to lead in different circumstances.

Fly-grazing

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of current legislation against fly-grazing;
	(2)  if he will assess the potential benefits of more stringent equine passport controls; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to reverse the burden of proof and increase data-gathering on horse ownership in relation to fly-grazing;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of changes in levels of fly-grazing in England following changes to relevant legislation in Wales;
	(4)  pursuant to the contribution of 26 November 2013 of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Official Report, columns 56-9WH, what recent assessment he has made of the prevalence of fly-grazing in Wales.

George Eustice: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Natural Environment and Science has met a number of interested bodies to discuss what action can be taken to address fly grazing in England. There is a range of legislation that can be used depending on the individual circumstances of each case. Most of the problems associated with fly grazing are linked to difficulties in tracing owners of unidentified horses. In such cases we would encourage a joined-up approach by enforcers and interested parties at a local level to help tackle the problem. It is already an offence under the Horse Passport Regulations for horses not to be identified. These regulations are enforced by local authorities. Fly grazing in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government.

Human Trafficking

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that assets of human traffickers are frozen within 48 hours of their arrest; and if he will make a statement.

Karen Bradley: The Serious and Organised Crime Strategy, published in October 2013, sets out how the Government will make it harder for criminals to use, hide and move the proceeds of crime. The Government will, as soon as parliamentary time allows, seek to amend the Proceeds of Crime Act to enable assets to be frozen more quickly and easily.
	Section 60B of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 allows for relevant land vehicle, ship or aircraft to be detained where a person has been arrested for a human trafficking offence. These powers will be brought forward and consolidated into the Modern Slavery Bill.

Independent Living Fund

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of recipients of the Independent Living Fund (a) are in employment and (b) were in employment at the date of application.

Michael Penning: The information is not available in the format requested as the ILF does not record the employment status of its recipients.

Jobcentre Plus

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many formal client complaints were brought against Jobcentre Plus staff in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) West Lothian local authority area and (d) Livingston constituency in each of the last five years.

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available prior to July 2010, however data is available as follows:
	
		
			  July 2010 to March 2011 April 2011 to March 2012 April 2012 to March 2013 April 2013 to March 2014 
			 Scotland 815 1,070 983 773 
			 National (England, Scotland and Wales) 6,180 8,979 16,864 15,481 
		
	
	DWP completed the incremental roll-out of a new complaints process in December 2012 which encouraged the recording of complaints. The data provided spans both processes.
	As complaints are not recorded by local authority area or constituency, this level of data isn’t available.

Occupational Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to the average UK saver of delaying the pensions charge cap from April 2014 to April 2015.

Steve Webb: There has been no delay to the default fund charge cap. The Government has announced that it will put in place a charge cap set at 0.75% of funds under management for the default funds of all schemes used for automatic enrolment from April 2015. This means we will deliver on the timetable in our consultation document to have a full cap for all qualifying schemes in place by April 2015.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the average waiting times for (a) personal independence payments assessments and (b) work capability assessments conducted by Atos in (i) the UK, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency.

Michael Penning: Limited data has started to feed through to the Department from Atos Healthcare about the average waiting times for applicants for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to be seen for a face to face consultation although this is not provided for the specific geographical area of Kilmarnock and Loudoun. When the data is fully collated and meets the quality standards set by the UK Statistics Authority, the Department intends to publish official statistics later in the year.
	The most recent data about national average waiting times for work capability assessments (for both employment and support allowance and incapacity benefit reassessment), for the period from February 2013 to date is 76 working days.

Chiropody

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department made of the prevalence of grade down-banding of podiatrists employed within the NHS.

Daniel Poulter: There has been no assessment made by the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt) of the prevalence of grade down-banding of podiatrists employed within the national health service.
	NHS Employers are responsible for their workforce structure. Grade down-banding or changing the pay structure of the role to a lower grade, is a measure undertaken by some NHS organisations due to re-organisation and restructure.

Chiropody

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what correspondence he has received relating to reductions in the number of podiatrists employed in each of the regions of England in each of the last three years.

Daniel Poulter: A search of the Department’s ministerial correspondence database has identified four items of correspondence about reductions in the number of podiatrists employed in England, three were received in 2012 and one was received in 2014. This is a minimum figure which represents correspondence received by the Department’s ministerial correspondence unit only.
	Following the Westminster Hall debate on 4 December 2013 about Podiatry services, secured by the hon. Member for Corby (Andy Sawford); the Chief Executive of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, wrote to the Under-Secretary of State for Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Jane Ellison), who responded to the debate, expressing concern about the reduction of podiatrists staffing levels in some areas.
	In that debate the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health explained that:
	“in situations in which services need to be changed, the NHS commitment is to make sure decisions are made in a clear and transparent way, so that patients and the public can understand how services are planned and delivered. Through the mandate, NHS England is responsible for services and for working with local clinical commissioning groups to ensure that their services are based on the needs of the local population within the resources available and there has to be evidenced-based best practice”.

Chiropody

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the standard of podiatry services in the NHS.

Daniel Poulter: There has been no assessment made by the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), on the standard of podiatry services in the national health service. Podiatrists are professionally regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and are accountable for their practice via the fitness to practise process. Registered podiatrists are required to maintain ongoing continued professional development to ensure that their clinical skills are maintained. This is a mandatory requirement by the HCPC.
	Health organisations are expected to follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard on diabetes requires that people with diabetes that have foot ulcers, or are at risk of developing them, have regular check-ups from a team specialising in foot protection. It also requires that people are seen and treated by a specialist health care team within 24 hours if they have foot problems needing urgent medical attention.
	NICE guidelines recommend annual foot checks. This is included in the Quality and Outcomes Framework which incentivises general practitioners to perform and record a foot examination in people with diabetes.
	NHS England also plans to launch a National Diabetes Footcare Audit in July 2014, which aims to establish the extent to which national guidelines on the management of diabetic foot disease are being met. This will provide local teams with the evidence needed to tackle any identified differences in practice which will lead in turn to an overall improvement in management and outcomes for patients.
	Some elements of podiatry services are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and has a key responsibility in the overall assurance of safety and quality of health and adult social care services. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, all providers of regulated activities, including NHS and independent providers, have to register with CQC and meet a set of requirements of safety and quality.

Chiropody

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the relationship between the availability of podiatry services and the rate of lower limb amputations.

Daniel Poulter: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has not personally received representations on the relationship between the availability of podiatry services and rate of lower limb amputations.
	I regularly meet with the Allied Health Professions Federation. At the last meeting held in February 2014, representatives from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists attended and a wide range of issues were discussed, including prevention of lower limb amputations.
	We are not currently able to correlate the relationship between the availability of podiatry services and rate of lower limb amputation in those with diabetes. However, on 14 July 2014, NHS England will be launching the National Diabetes Footcare Audit (a new module to be incorporated into the National Diabetes Audit) which will allow this relationship to be explored.

Dental Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of seeing a dentist was in England in each year for which data is available.

Daniel Poulter: Information is available by course of treatment. Information on the average cost of a national health service (NHS) course of treatment for an adult charge payer is set out in the following table. Treatment is free for all children and those adults who are exempt from NHS dental charges on income or other grounds.
	
		
			 Average cost of an adult course of treatment in England as at year ending 31 March each year: 
			  Total courses of treatment Patient charge revenue (£) Average cost (£) 
			 2009 18,333,000 571,728,263 31.19 
			 2010 18,601,732 597,620,482 32.13 
			 2011 18,965,166 614,270,550 32.39 
			 2012 19,125,127 634,741,351 33.19 
			 2013 19,333,277 657,636,481 34.02 
			 Note: The average cost of an adult course of treatment for the years ending 31 March each year has been calculated by dividing the total adult gross fees for April to March for each year by the total number of adult courses of treatment for the same time period. Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre

In Vitro Fertilisation

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 42W, on In vitro fertilisation, (a) what the evidential basis is for his statement that no genomic DNA is found in the mitochondria but only in the cell nucleus, (b) what account he took of the data on the human genome available in the ENSEMBL and OMIM databases in preparing that statement and (c) what genetic modifications applied to the eggs or embryos would prevent any nuclear DNA from the eggs or embryo donor being inherited by the resulting child.

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 42W, on in vitro fertilisation, if he will provide specific references to the available evidence that no genomic DNA is found in the mitochondria but only in the cell nucleus; how their consideration that mitochondrial DNA is not part of the genome relates to the presentation of data on the human genome in the ENSEMBL and OMIM databases; what precise genetic modifications are applied to the eggs or embryos that would prevent any nuclear DNA from the egg or embryo donors from being inherited by the resulting child; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: We have been advised by the Wellcome Trust that whole mitochondrial DNA genome sequencing has revealed no evidence of nuclear genomic DNA inside mitochondria and data on the human genome available in the ENSEMBL and OMIM databases confirms that there is no nuclear genomic DNA in the mitochondria.
	Inheritance of nuclear DNA from the donor egg is prevented in the Maternal Spindle Transfer technique through the removal of the spindle from the donor egg. Given that the nuclear DNA in the form of condensed chromosomes is attached to the spindle, nuclear genomic DNA from the donor will be removed and not inherited by the resulting child. Techniques that allow the visualisation of condensed chromosomes in eggs are used to ensure that all the chromosomes are removed.
	For embryos used in the Pronuclear Transfer technique, the nuclear genomic DNA is enclosed within the nuclear membrane of the maternal (egg-derived) and paternal (sperm-derived) pronuclei. The donor nuclear genomic DNA will be removed when the pronuclei are removed.
	There is no universally agreed definition of genetic modification in humans. The Government has adopted a working definition for the purpose of taking forward the draft mitochondrial donation regulations, that genetic modification involves the germ-line modification of nuclear DNA that can be passed on to future generations. Therefore, the Government does not accept that mitochondrial donation amounts to genetic modification.

Mental Illness

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of mental illness in (a) the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group area, (b) the Medway Clinical Commissioning Group area, (c) Kent and (d) England in each of the last five years.

Norman Lamb: Information on the levels of mental illness in the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group area, the Medway Clinical Commissioning Group area, Kent and England is not held centrally.
	All local authorities are required to develop and publish a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)—an analysis of the current and future health and care needs of the local population—and a Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) to address these needs.
	JSNAs and JHWSs form the basis of national health service and local authorities’ own commissioning plans, across health, social care, public health and children’s services. Local health and social care commissioners are expected to develop their commissioning plans in line with any relevant JSNA or JHWS, and must be able to justify any parts of their plans which are not consistent.
	The JSNA process therefore offers valuable opportunities to drive improvement in meeting the needs of local people with mental health needs. However, the Department has not highlighted any care group or area of need over another as this would risk undermining the purpose of JSNAs being an objective, comprehensive and most importantly—a locally-owned process.

Nurses

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing staff were in post in each year since 1999.

Daniel Poulter: The annual national health service workforce census, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, shows the numbers of qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff in the NHS in England as at 30 September each year. The Department does not hold information on the number of nursing staff in post in other settings.
	The number of qualified nursing staff in each year from 1999 to 2013 is shown in the following table. The latest data in the table relates to September 2013 and is taken from the annual census. The monthly workforce statistics provides more recent data but does not include primary care staff.
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS): Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff in England as at 30 September each year 
			 Full-time equivalent 
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 
			 Total qualified nursing staff 251,907 257,429 267,381 280,212 290,971 300,403 308,205 310,383 
			          
			 HCHS Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 241,218 246,717 256,218 268,214 278,003 286,841 294,412 295,767 
			          
			 GP Practice Nurses 10,689 10,711 11,163 11,998 12,967 13,563 13,793 14,616 
		
	
	
		
			 Full-time equivalent 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 Total qualified nursing staff 308,516 313,879 320,469 323,783 321,143 319,755 322,635 
			         
			 HCHS Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 293,962 299,917 306,887 309,139 306,346 305,060 307,692 
			         
			 GP Practice Nurses 14,554 13,962 13,582 14,644 14,797 14,695 14,943 
			 Notes: 1. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. These statistics relate to the contracted positions within English NHS organisations and may include those where the person assigned to the position is temporarily absent, for example on maternity leave. Sources: Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Obesity: Children

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of children in (a) Chatham and Aylesford constituency, (b) Kent and (c) England were diagnosed as overweight in each year since 2005.

Jane Ellison: Data on childhood obesity are not collected at constituency level but at local authority level. Chatham falls within the unitary authority boundary of Medway and Aylesford falls within the district authority boundary of Tonbridge and Malling. The data has been presented for these local authority organisations as an approximate for the levels of childhood obesity in the Chatham and Aylesford constituency.
	The proportion of children classified as overweight in Chatham and Aylesford constituency (represented by Medway and Tonbridge and Malling respectively), Kent and England as measured by the National Child Measurement Programme 2006-07 to 2012/-13 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Prevalence (%) of overweight (including obese) among children aged 4 to 5 (reception) and 10 to 11 (year 6) years 
			 Percentage 
			  England Kent Tonbridge and Malling Medway 
			  Reception Year 6 Reception Year 6 Reception Year 6 Reception Year 6 
			 2006-07 22.9 31.7 22.7 30.9 19.6 27.8 20.5 34.6 
			 2007-08 22.6 32.6 22.6 30.3 20.9 29.3 17.9 35.9 
			 2008-09 22.8 32.6 23.0 32.5 20.5 32.7 25.3 34.1 
			 2009-10 23.1 33.4 23.8 32.8 21.9 28.1 23.9 34.3 
			 2010-11 22.6 33.4 22.9 33.3 29.1 32.6 24.2 33.3 
			 2011-12 22.6 33.9 21.7 32.7 19.0 33.1 23.8 34.0 
			 2012-13 22.2 33.3 21.7 32.7 20.9 31.3 23.3 32.7

Procurement

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account his Department takes of previous performance on government contracts when assessing bids for new contracts.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has implemented the Government’s best practice for assessing past performance in its contracts and takes past performance into account as part of a legal and commercial compliance test for any contracts which are greater than £20 million in value. This is in line with the Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note, Action Note 09/12, issued on 8 November 2012.

Staff

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) NHS England are working on the transition to a new system following the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012; and what the cost was of employing such officials in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jane Ellison: The Health and Social Care Transition programme (HSCTP) was set up to implement the changes introduced under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The programme was led by the Department and closed on 31 March 2013. All of the organisations in the new health and care system assumed full responsibilities and powers as set out in the Act from 1 April 2013.
	Any enduring responsibilities that transferred to the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), or NHS England from 1 April 2013 are being discharged as part of business as usual arrangements in each organisation. As the HSCTP has closed and the new organisations are in place, there are no longer any officials working on the transition to a new system.
	Further information on the overall cost of transition is available in the National Audit Office report ‘Managing the transition to the reformed health system’ available at the following link:
	www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/10175-001-Managing-the-transition-to-the-reformed-health-system.pdf